Mail-pouch catcher.



- PATENTED APR. 28, 1903. E. J. SWOMLEY.

MAIL POUCH GATGHER.

APPLICATION FILED JAIL lB, 1908.

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PATENTED APR. 28, 1908.

E. J. SWOMLE'Y. MAIL- POUCH GATGHER..

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 16, 1908.

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ELLA J. SWOMLEY, OF MONROVIA, MARYLAND.

MAIL-POUCH CATCHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April as, 1908.

Application filed January 16, 1908. Serial No. 411,110.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELLA J. SwoMLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Monrovia, in the county of Frederick, State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Pouch Catchers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descri tion of the invention, such as will enable ot ers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to mail pouch catchers and it has for its object to provide a construction which may be located at the side of a railway to receive pouches in such a manner as not to injure the pouches or their contents.

A specific object of the invention is to employ a mail pouch receiving receptacle so mounted that the momentum of the ouch will be gradually neutralized so that when the pouch finally reaches the bottom of the receptacle, its momentum will be so small as to insure against injury to both the pouch and the receptacle.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple means for holding the receptacle with its top practically closed against the weather after the pouch has been deposited therein, and also means for directing the receptacle to and retaining it normally in proper receiving position.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the invention, showing an arrangement of two receptacles for catching mail as the train proceeds in either direction, one receptacle being in receiving position and the other being in position with the pouch therein. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the structure shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end elevation. Fig. 4 is -a top plan view.

Referring now to the drawings, the mail pouch catching apparatus is shown in du licate, that is there are shown two receptac es, so that the mail pouches may be caught from a train moving in either direction. In the duplicate arrangement illustrated, there are shown in connection with each receptacle 5, two uprights 6 and 7 connected at their upper ends by a cross bar 8. The uprights and the cross bar thus form a supporting frame. Intermediate of these two supporting frames which are parallel, there are erected two intermediate posts 9 and 10. Through the upper portion of the post 9, is passed the rail 11, the

end portions of which are then taken upwardly in parallel relation, as shown at 12, and are then taken downwardly and curvingly in the direction of the supporting frame. The ends of the rails are engaged in'the uprights 6. The portions ofthe rail thatextend vertically upwardly from the post 9, are connected by a cross plate 13. This construction is duplicated upon the post 10 and in connection with the corresponding posts 7 of the supporting frame.

Upon reference to the receptacle 5, it will be noted that it is of open-topped construction, and that the back thereof is continued above the open-top and at the upper edge is provided with a binding 14, having eyes 15, through which are engaged rings 16, that encircle the cross bar 8 and thus provide a pivotal connection between the receptacle and the supporting frame. At the ends of the upper edge of the front of the receptacle 5, are arranged rings 17 that engage the rails 11 so as to slide thereon and while holding the lower end of the receptacle against lateral movement, permit of forward and backward swinging movement in the use of the apparatus as hereinafter described.

In the use of the apparatus, the mail pouch is delivered either from a crane or by being thrown bodily from a car. In either event, the pouch is delivered against the upwardly extending portion of the back of the rece tacle along which it slides in a downward y direction to the body of the receptacle. The momentum of the pouch causes it to swing the receptacle rearwardly so that the rings at the front of the pouch travel along the guide rails 11, which are so positioned as to insure a slight raising of the body of the pouch in its rearward movement, so that when the rings reach the vertical portion of the rails, the weight of the body of the receptacle and its contents, causes the rings to move downwardly, as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings, and thus holds the receptacle against return swinging movement.

As illustrated in the drawings, when the receptacle is in this rearward position, the upwardly extending portion of the back thereof, lies over the open top of the receptacle and forms a cover for it to exclude the weather.

When the mail pouch is removed and the receptacle is to-be returned to its normal or receiving position, said receptacle is raised to move its rings to the inclined portions of the rails 11, when the receptacle swings downwardly and forwardly as will be understood.

To direct pouches to the receptacle that might otherwise strike an upright 6 or 7, de fleeting plates 18 are secured upon the inner faces of each pair of uprights 6 and 7 and eX- tend forwardly and divergingly.

It will of course be understood that only one supporting frame and one receptacle with corresponding portions of rails 11 need be used when desired.

Vhat is claimed is:

1. A mail-pouch catcher, comprising a pocket suspended wholly from its upper edge for bodily swinging movement under the im pact of a mail-pouch thrown thereinto, and means for holding the pocket normally in predetermined receiving position.

2. A mail pouch catcher, comprising a pocket suspended wholly from its upper edge for bodily swinging movement under the im pact of a mail pouch thrown thereinto, and means for retaining the pocket at the rearward limit of its swinging movement.

3. A mail pouch catcher, comprising a receptacle mounted for a rearward swinging movement bodily under the impact of, a mail pouch thrown thereinto, means for retaining the receptacle at the rearward limit of its movement, and means for directing the receptacle to receiving position when released from the retaining means.

4. A mail pouch catcher, comprising in combination, an elevated support, an opentopped receptacle having its rear side continued upwardly above the open top and connected at its upper edge with said support, to ermit its swinging movement bodily un thrown thereinto, an means for directing the receptacle to and retaining it normally in its receiving position.

5. A mail pouch catcher, comprising in combination, an elevated su port, an opentopped receptacle supporte wholly at its rear upper edge from said support and adapted to swing bodily under the impact of a mail pouch thrown thereinto, the rear side of the receptacle being continued upwardly above the open top, means for retaining the receptacle at the rearward limit of its swinging movement, and means for directing the receptacle to receiving position when released from the retaining means.

6. A mail pouch catcher comprising a supporting frame, an open-topped fabric receptacle having its rear side extended above the open top and pivotally connected at its upper e ge with the supporting frame, whereby the recepltacle may swing, and means for directing t e swinging movement of the receptacle.

7. A mail pouch catcher comprising a sup porting frame, an open-topped fabric receptacle having its rear side extended above the er the im iact of a mail pouch open top and pivotally connected at its upper edge with the supporting frame, whereby the receptacle may swing, guide rails, means carried by the receptacle and connected with the guide rails for directing the swinging q movement of the rece tacle, and means carried by the frame for irecting the flight of a pouch to the receptacle.

8. A mail pouch catcher, comprising an open-topped receptacle mounted for a swinging movement bodily under the impact of a mail pouch thrown thereinto, deflecting de vices disposed at opposite sides of the receptacle for directing the mail pouch thereinto, and means for holding the receptacle normally in a predetermined receiving position.

9. A mail )ouch catcher, comprising a pocket suspenc ed wholly from its upper edge I for bodily swinging movement under the impact of a mail pouch thrown thereinto, deflecting devices disposed at opposite sides of the receptacle for directing the mail pouch thereinto, and means for retaining the receptacle at the rearward limit of. its.swinging movement.

10. A mail pouch catcher, comprising a pocket suspended wholly from its upper edge for bodily swinging movement under the impact of a mail pouch thrown thereinto, means for retaining the receptacle at the rearward limit of its swinging movement, and means for directing the receptacle to receiving position when released from the retaining means.

11. The combination, with a pair of uprights and a cross bar connecting the u per ends of the uprights, of an open-toppe receptacle sus ended wholly from said cross bar, for bodi y swinging movement under the impact of a mail ouch thrown thereinto, means for holding the receptacle normally in redetermined receiving position, and deecting plates secured to the uprights, for directing a mail pouch into the receptacle.

12. The combination, with a pair of uprights and a cross bar connecting the u per ends of the uprights, of an open-toppe receptacle having its rear side continued upwardly above the open top and connected to said cross bar, said receptacle being adapted to swing bodily under the impact of a mail pouch thrown against said rear side, and deflecting plates secured to said uprights, for directing the mail pouch against said side.

13. The combination, with a pair of spaced uprights and aconnecting cross bar, of a post 14. The combination, with a pair of spaced uprights and a connecting cross bar, of a post disposed in the rear of and parallel with each upright, an upwardly and rearwardly inclined rail connecting each upright with the adjacent post, and a mail pouch suspended at its rear upper edge from said cross bar and provided at its front upper edge with rings adapted for engagement with said rails, to permit a rearward swinging movement of the receptacle bodily under the impact of a mail pouch thrown thereinto.

15. The combination, with a pair of spaced uprights and a connecting cross bar, of a post disposed in the rear of and parallel with each u ri ht an u wardl and rearwardl in- P a 7 P Y Y clined rail connecting each upright with the adj acent post, an open-topped receptacle suspended at its rear upper edge from said cross bar and provided at its front upper edge with rings adapted for engagement with said rails, to permit a bodily swinging movement of said receptacle under the impact of a mail pouch thrown thereinto, and deflecting plates secured to said uprights, for directing the mail pouch into the receptacle.

16. The combination, with a pair of spaced uprights and a connecting cross bar, of a post disposed in the rear of and parallel with each upright, an upwardly and rearwardly inclined rail connecting each upright with the adjacent post, and-an open-topped receptacle suspended at its rear upper edge from said cross bar and provided at its front upper edge with rings adapted for engagement with said rails, to permit a rearward swinging movement of the receptacle bodily under the impact of a mail pouch thrown thereinto, the rear ends of said rails being bent downwardly to retain the mail pouch at the rearward limit of its swinging movement.

17. The combination, with a pivotally.

mounted imperforate receptacle adapted to swing under the impact o1 a mail pouch thrown thereinto, of means for wrapping one end of the receptacle around the mail pouch during its swinging movement.

18. The combination, with an imperforate open-topped receptacle having its rear side continued upwardly above the open top, of a support to which said side is pivotally connected at its upper edge, said receptacle being adapted to swing bodily under the impact of a mail pouch thrown thereinto, and means for wrapping said side around the mail pouch during the swinging movement of the receptacle.

In testimony whereof, I wit: my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

ELLA J. SWOMLEY.

Witnesses:

Jos. H. BLAOKWOOD, GEO. H. GHANDLEE. 

